Computer systems are currently available which provide users with various computer graphics capabilities. For example, with these systems, users can create shapes in the form of graphic data objects by operating various user input devices. Such devices include a mouse, a pen, or any other functionally equivalent positioning device.
In many of these computer systems, shapes are created and drawn on a display as a result of user selection of a shape type from a number of predefined shape types provided. Upon selection of the desired shape type, the user operates the user input device to select the location, vertices, etc. to create the shape desired.
In some such computer graphics systems, the user can designate various graphic characteristics such as a fill pattern, color, border, attached text, size, etc., for a created shape. By so designating these graphic characteristics, the user is able to create highly descriptive shapes, where desired.
It is sometimes desirable, however, for the user to change the shape type of an object without changing the other graphic characteristics already designated for that object. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the user can initially choose a triangle from a display 100, by operating a user positioning device to position a cursor on a shape type menu 102, within the triangle selection box 104. The triangle can then be sized and positioned by specifying defining points, such as vertices, of the triangle.
Upon choosing the triangle, the user can designate graphic characteristics of the triangle, such as, color, border, attached text, size, etc. In FIG. 2, an example of the result of such a designation is illustrated. In this example, the graphic data object displayed is a triangle 200, which corresponds to user selection of a solid, red fill pattern 202, a white border 204 and white attached text 206, spelling "STOP."
Upon creation of such a graphic data object, the user may decide that, although the other graphic characteristics selected are acceptable, the graphic data object could be improved by having a different shape type. For example, upon reflection, it may occur to the user that, even though the red color, white border and attached text are much to be desired, the triangle 200 would be more appropriately represented as an octagon.
Conventionally, however, it has not been possible to obtain such a shape type change without completely recreating the graphic data object. That is, to provide an octagon having all other graphic characteristics possessed by the triangle 200, a user would have to first select an octagon shape type, and then again designate each of the graphic characteristics desired, this time for the new octagon shape type selected. However, to resort to such a largely repetitive action is relatively time-consuming in light of the fact that all other of the desired graphic characteristics have already been designated.
Thus, it is desirable to provide a method and means of changing the shape type of a graphic data object without changing other graphic characteristics of the graphic data object.